Welcome from the Mechanical Engineering Program Coordinator

Welcome to the UW Bothell Mechanical Engineering Program!

As practicing mechanical engineers, we embrace a profession dedicated to serving our community. As educators, we help you grow your skills and knowledge as well as cultivate critical thinking and your sense of place in the world. As such, we seek to graduate conscientious citizens aware of their ethical responsibilities to a global society, responsibilities they address as technically adept mechanical engineers. (Vision and Mission Statement and Degree Description)

Our faculty author books and journal articles and have produced numerous patents. The associated research advances their dual efforts to develop new knowledge and to translate it into new applications. Regarding the latter, all our ME faculty have a constant eye out for commercialization opportunities associated with their innovative work. We inculcate in our students that same entrepreneurial spirit and know-how.

Federal sponsors of our research include the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Energy (DoE), and Department of Defense (DoD), among others. Local sponsors (typically also collaborators) of our research include farms (e.g., SAgE, 21 Acres, Farmer Frog) and companies (e.g., Stormsensor, OceanGate, Ventec, Spiration).

Our research and teaching align. As an important example, we make robust use of projects throughout the curriculum where many of those projects reflect what we have learned from our research. Examples have included 3D printed prosthetic hands developed for children missing limbs in war-torn countries, novel surgical devices, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) outfitted with hydrophones to study marine mammals, games that involve smart objects and virtual reality for rehabilitation after stroke, and biocompatible polymers. Our project-based pedagogy also embraces our local community. Examples include a solar-powered and transportable refrigerator to assist people in underdeveloped areas, an autonomous water-quality monitoring system, a 3D printer for chocolate, a solar-powered germinator tray, and devices to facilitate wireless power and data transfer for undersea applications.